Last season Craig Duncan made a measured debut against Cambridge University in a season which saw him establish himself at full back and play in all three capped games. By contrast Brad Janes announced his arrival with a full-on blood and thunder hard line from a lineout against Esher. Like Craig he was to play in all three capped matches. They were both to team up later in the year wearing UK Armed Forces colours in the International Defence Rugby Cup match against France. So, as you ponder how important the February matches are, what opportunities they may hold, simply think of the delight Craig Duncan must have felt as he crossed the line to score at the Twicke...
Make no bones about it but last season was extremely challenging for the Mariners if the results are anything to go by. Revisiting the fixtures in reverse order, the team ended on a low having been humbled in front of a reasonably sized crowd by a fluent and creative Army Masters side (24 – 69 L). The result was particularly exasperating, as the boys in blue started strongly demonstrating an expansive style coupled with a direct approach of their own with Andy Vance, Alan Sullivan and Peter Kewn (or was it John Lamsin?) crossing the line with Paul Saberton converting them all and slotting a penalty.
The game against the RAF will be painful to look back on (29 – 5 L) ...
Cambridge University completed their season in style with their 10th consecutive win, a sweep of all three Service sides and a 36-15 win over the Royal Navy. The Navy showed some good creativity in their opening match but as may be expected made too many unforced errors. Henry Hughes and Elliot Woodhead scored the Royal Navy tries. Cambridge University winger, Fergus Jumphrey completed the game with a hattrick of tries as the students ran in six tries to complete a winning streak of ten games. Cohesion and teamwork shone through from the Varsity Match winners who had previously beaten both the Royal Air Force and British Army. By contrast a young, inexperienced R...
New Decade, New Dawn? Maybe! But it remains a truism that the basic requirements of building successful sides are unchanged from year to year, season to season. And one of the foundation stones remains the ability to embrace hard work.
Those lazy, hazy days of Summer will seem far away for the Senior XV who are now in the second week of camp, as an extended squad, to start preparations for the Centenary Inter Service tournament. 100 years after the Royal Air Force were admitted, and the Royal Navy took the inaugural title, the Royal Navy Senior XV will be chasing title number twenty-one when they take on the RAF at the Twickenham Stoop on 18th April and t...
Royal Navy Women’s XV took the first tentative steps on the road to Twickenham. Playing a powerful team from Trojans RFC (Eastleigh) the Navy were comprehensibly beaten but will learn from this and be a better side for it. The future is bright. On a dry chilly night at Burnaby Road, the Royal Navy Women’s Senior XV took to the field in the first game of their season on the journey to play the Army, for the first time on the hallowed pitch at Twickenham. With many new players and inexperienced players this match was going to prove a huge learning curve. Kicked-off by Trojans fly-half (10) taken by Navy Prop Katie Ives (1), passed to lock Yvonne Mealy (5) and taken into cont...
